Diversity Leadership Team Committee
Minutes, January 25, 1-2pm
Attendance: Mariah Bates, Derek Branch, Tamara Brantmeier, Elizabeth Buchanan, Julie Harmon, Kristi Krimpelbein, Vickie Kuester, Jennifer Lee, Leni Marshall, Barb Miller, Julie Miller, Glendali Rodriguez, Kate Thomas (Chair), Carol Vang
Absent: Amy Gullixson, Kara James, Patrick Guilfoile (Glendali Rodriguez was present), Sandi Scott
1. Welcome: Mariah Bates (SSA)
2. Minutes 12/20/2016. Approved; fix spelling of Sandi’s name (TB/LM; 1 abstention).
3. Campus Events: Email Kate info about events; the updated calendar will be on DBT website.
4. DBT Meetings
· March 14th changed to March 8 or 22, taking Ragtime lectures into consideration.
· May 17th changed to May 10 or 24; preference for May 10 with people still on contract.
· Need more meeting time. Suggestions: meet for 1 hour 2x/month (perhaps useful for subcommittee work/meetings); meet for 2 hours 1x/month; meet for 90 minutes 1x/month; have written subcommittee reports.
5. Subcommittee updates
· SPG IE charge. Barb, Chair; Sandi, Julie M, Amy, Tamara, Leni, Kate members. SPG requests more information on several items.
o Response to the request to reinstate Pride Alliance and MFSN, which is connected to assessing staffing levels.
i. The SPG expressed concerns about parity with other committees.
ii. Former SPG MFSN members had questions about the definition of minority (international and domestic people of color), and about what the group’s audience and goals were. The group’s mentoring efforts met with some success and some questions.
iii. SPG past Pride Alliance member expressed concern that paid leadership meant everyone else took a step back. There were questions of “what do we do as service? What is part of work load? What do we do because of personal interest/commitment?”
iv. Need clear charge/goals and reason for stipend. People want to increase support for marginalized populations. A Welcome Week slide mentioned the decline in racial/ethnic minority staff/faculty members at Stout, so there is a stated need of better recruitment/retention efforts for marginalized populations.
v. Maybe re-vision for new group(s) rather than reactivate, to create a fabric for campus. Focus on need and desired accomplishment. People what to understand the goals. Should this stay with Barb’s subgroup or be separate?
vi. Staff study suggestion: the grid listed funding as “comparable to other staffing reviews that have taken place”; SPG wants a specific $$ amount. To figure that out, we need to understand what our goals are and what would need to be reviewed. There are unquestionable inequities in positions responsibilities and resources (esp. staff). Need someone assessing needs, available resources, and areas for improvement. How much will it cost to collect the data and perhaps hire consultants? Let’s make this its own subcommittee. Get info about what a study of current staffing and needs would cost. Need this info within a month. That subgroup is not doing the study. Instead, they are saying what needs to be assessed, what are the goals, and how much would it cost to get this assessment. This will be a separate subgroup. Kate and Mariah will co-chair; Julie M will be a member. There are a huge # of variables – maybe make a list as a starting point?
o The 2 part-time positions are funded for 2017-18, not the 3-5 year funding requested. Kate and Leni will also work on obtaining summer funding, so that the programs are in place when the school year begins and we are not again faced with having to process feedback and show progress in the 2 meetings we have in the fall before the first report is due.
o The charge asked for action items about student organizations, although that was not a central focus of the fall feedback and the DBT has no authority over student orgs. SPG would like us to make recommendations that the chancellor could use as a charge to student groups. SSA member Alex Vernon offered to meet with us to clarify what SPG meant. There were suggestions that Jen and Carol be involved in that meeting.
o Online IE education options we continue to explore
i. Reviewed offerings of Madison and NorQuest. What others are there?
ii. HR has access to Law Room, whose online diversity training is being revised. Once that is updated (April?), we could look at it.
iii. Should we and how could we make trainings specific to departments?
iv. Stout focus could be a more generic Intro to Intercultural Development – encouragement to point people in learning more about those ideas.
o We asked to prioritize supervisor professional development options.
i. We are in discussion with the Senates to respond to Chancellor’s call for IE on Employee Evaluation sheets. What will it look like? What is the intent?
ii. Frame it in terms of opportunities and job effectiveness. Developing a credential for performance reviews.
iii. If all the senates don’t pass something, then we’ll need to fall back and regroup.
iv. Important for Admin Leadership to get Deans and other campus leaders to get their staff participating.
v. Need more people to be part of the conversation – especially as it’s part of 2020 focus.
vi. It’s a retention issue – students leave if they have bad experiences in class and elsewhere.
o Shift campaign. SPG wanted more details about the plan for videos. Shift subcommittee will furnish the needed details.
· Campus Climate Survey. Julie H, Chair; Patrick, Kate members
o Susan Greene will send an advertising timeline, flyer to depts.; there will be emails and posters; there will be TV videos with announcements flashing.
o Also useful to have contact from student orgs. SSA will send out announcements on the 30th. Maybe also social media campaign. Kate will forward posters to Carol.
o Get faculty to announce it in classes; ask that DBT members connect personally with the students in their world.
o Need volunteers for climate costumes and hand out fliers. Surveys are being done Feb 1 – Mar 10. Get out there 1x/week. Remind people the other weeks. Maybe show up at events?
o Need tie-in with posters/FB/etc. Symbol on posters, fliers, DBT webpage. Barb offered to add it to MSS web page. Maybe it should also be on Disability Svcs/LGBTQIA+ websites as well.
o Questions on paper is more personable. Can request a paper version. Is the link to the PARQ office, so you don’t have to sort through email to find the link to the survey?
· SHIFT Campaign. Jen Chair; Megan Groose, Carol, Tamara, Leni, Kate members
o Chancellor approved $1700 for Shift Campaign for this semester
o Jen circulated Earth as 100 people; had data from Meridith about Stout as 100 people.
o Julie M will review for LBGTQIA+ inclusion
· Diversity Leadership Coalition. Leni, Chair; 29 registered members
o 100 invitations sent
o All DBT members received invitations
o First meeting on Monday, Jan 30th, drop-in hours 2:00-3:30, Oakwood room.
· Project Funding. Kate, Chair
o Chancellor approved $1700 for Shift Campaign for this semester
o $1000 for artist and publisher of March (Rep. John Lewis’ story) – see email details
o Initial balance of $5000; current balance of $2300
o More members?
o Need criteria soon! Suggested latest deadlines: applications due end of March. Review applications in April. Allocate funds in late April or early May. Projects must be completed by end of June.
6. Subcommittee updates tabled until next meeting
· NEW Alumni Study – feedback is actionable. Kate, Chair
o Asked to review 6 comments on diversity (1% of all responses) and give suggestions for university -wide actions.
o More members?
· Awards. Julie M., Chair; Kate, member
· Painting contextualization. Kate, Chair